Button.



N0. 633,752. Patented Sept. 26, I899.

r. CLARK.

BUTTON.

(Application filed June 13, 1899.

{No Model.)

U ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCISCO CLARK, OF DURANGO, MEXICO.

BUTTON.

SPECIFICATIGN forming part of Letters Patent No. 633,752, dated September 26, 1899.

Application filed June 13,1899. Serial No. 720,378. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCISCO CLARK, a citi zen of the Republic of Mexico, and a resident of Durango city and county, Republic of Mexico, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Buttons, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to separable buttons, the object of my invention being to construct the button in two parts, which are easily separable and as easily assembled, to the end that the button may be quickly and easily passed through the buttonhole in which it is used, and also to provide positive locking means for the parts. It consists, essentially, in providing one of the separable parts of the button (the button-head) with a post having a locking lug or projection near its outer extremity. Within the button-head which carries the post I provide a spring, which is held in place by a disk. I provide the second part of the button with a hollow or slotted shank, the slot being so shaped as to receive the post carried by the button-head. At the lower extremity of the slot I provide a circumferential groove, within which the locking-lug on the post may turn, and a notch in the groove, which notch is adapted to receive the looking lug or projection on the post when the two parts of the button are assembled together. When the locking-lug is in position in the notch provided for it, the two parts or halves of the button are locked together and are substantially rigid, and the same effect and appearance are produced as though thebutton consisted of but one part.

By myinvention I provide a button of simple and economical construction, not easily broken or damaged while being used, and the two parts of the button cannot of themselves become loose or detached.

Referring to the drawings forming part of this application, in which like letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure 1 is a plan View of that part of the button provided with the post and the spring, which I call the button-head. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same part, taken on line x .1: of Fig. 1, and shows the post and the spring. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the button part to which the hollow or slotted shank is attached, which I term the button-base, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the button-base to which the hollow or slotted shank is attached, taken on line a z of Fig. 3, andshows the slotted shank and the circumferential groove at its lower extremity, in which the lockinglug of the post is made to turn. Fig. 5 is a plan view of a disk which holds the springin position in the button-head.

erably construct the head portion A out of a flat plate of metal, this part being stamped or pressed out of the metal in the usual or any desired manner, this part being given any ornamental form or surface configuration desired. The sides J J and the retaining edges or flanges K K of the button-head are formed in one piece with the head proper. This is done by turning the edges of the metal plate from which the head is formed upward to form the sides JJand then bending the edges of the sides J J inwardly toward the center of the head A and in the same plane, thus forming the retaining edges or flanges K K. In these retaining edges or flanges I cut the passage therethrough of flanges or looking projections a, with which the edge of the disk E is provided. Having thus formed one portion of the bu ttoni. e. the button-head I place within this button-head A a post 0, extending outwardly from the bottom of the head, to which it is rigidly connected. Near the outer extremity of the post 0, I provide a locking lug or projection D, which is intended to engage in a circumferential groove I, formed at the bottom of the slotted or grooved shank H in the button-base.

The disk E is constructed with a central aperture M, having a notch M extending therefrom to allow of a passage therethrough of the top of post 0, with the locking-lug D attached thereto. The disk'E has, as before stated, a number of flanges a at its edges, which are so constructed that they may be made to pass through the apertures L in the retaining edges or flanges K of the buttonhead when it is desired to pass the disk E into or remove it from the button-head A. At both sides'of the central aperture Min the disk E, but a little Way from the same, I provide holes or openings a in order that the disk E may be turned in the button-head A notches or apertures L L L, which permit of In constructing my improved button I prefby a proper instrument or tool having projections which engage in the holes a formed in the disk E, to the end that the flanges a at the edges of the disk E will properly engage with the apertures L in the retaining-flanges K,with which they correspond, and in which position the disk E may be withdrawn from the button-head A.

The disk E after it has been inserted is held against accidental turning by a slight jamming of the wall of the button head, which while preventing the disk turning does not prevent its being forced inward against the tension of the spring. It will be observed that the hollow shank contacts with the plate near the center thereof, while the contact between the plate and head is at the circumference, and thus only a slight friction at the circumference is suffioient to prevent the disk from turning.

Vithin the head is located a spring which encircles the post and which tends constantly to force the disk E outwardly against the retaining edges of the head.

In Figs. 3 and 4., F represents the buttonbase, to which the hollow or slotted shank G is attached, the shank Gbeing provided with a slot H, which is adapted to allow the passage therethrough of the post 0 and the lockinglug D, attached thereto. At the bottom of the shank G, I provide a circumferential groove I, within which the lug D travels until it strikes a notch 1, formed in the shank G. The lugD falls into the notch I, being pressed upwardly into the same by the action of the spring B, and is there retained. To cause the lug D to engage with the notch I, the buttonhead is passed over the button-base, the post 0, with the lug. D, being passed down into the slotted shank G. The two parts of the button-viz. the button-head and the buttonbase-are then pressed together, by which action the spring B is compressed and the locking-lu g D passes down inside the slotted shank Gto the circumferential groove I, into which it passes. The button-head is then turned over the button-base, a half-turn being given the two parts while still being pressed together, and as this is done the locking-lug D travels in the circumferential groove I until the locking-lug D of the post 0 enters the notch I in the shank G at the end of the groove I and becomes firmly fixed therein, being pressed up into the notch by the action of the spring B. When the two parts of the button are being pressed together, the upper part of the shank G pushes against the disk E, which retains the spring B, causing compression of the spring.

When the two parts of the button are to be separated, the button-head and the buttonbase are pressed toward each other by the fingers of the user until the locking-1n g D passes out of the notch I, when the two parts of the button may be given a half-turn with relation to each other, the lug D during this part of the operation traveling around in the circumferential groove I. When thisjs done, the post O,with its locking-lug D, may be withdrawn from the slotted shank G, and the two parts of the button are thus separated.

I claim A separable button comprising a hollow head having an inwardly-turned flange at the open edge thereof with notches in said flange, a spring-pressed plate having interlocking tongues corresponding to the notches of the flange, said plate being adapted to be inserted within the head and turned to bring the tongues into locking engagement with the flange, a post projecting through an opening in said plate and having a locking-lug, and a base having a hollow slotted shank with a groove, said shank being adapted to receive said post, and said groove engaging said locking-lug, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

FRANCISCO CLARK. Witnesses:

FRANCISCO ASIMSOLO, EGBERT RAPP. 

